Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Lobelia erinus cultivar Weslolav.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lobelia plant, botanically known as Lobelia erinus, and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Weslolavxe2x80x99.
The new Lobelia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Sxc3xcdlohn, Germany. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new Lobelia cultivars with continuous flowering, interesting flower colors and high temperature tolerance.
The new Lobelia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 2002 of a proprietary selection of Lobelia erinus identified as code number 01P050, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with the Lobelia erinus cultivar Weslobigblue, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,634, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Lobelia was discovered and selected by the Inventor from within the resultant progeny from the above-mentioned cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Sxc3xcdlohn, Germany in 2002.
Asexual reproduction since 2002 of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Sxc3xcdlohn, Germany, has shown that the unique features of this new Lobelia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Weslolavxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Weslolavxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Cascading plant habit.
2. Freely branching habit with short internodes; bushy and dense plant form.
3. Continuously and freely flowering habit.
4. Densely pubescent stems and leaves.
5. Light lavender-colored flowers.
6. Relatively tolerant to high temperatures.
Plants of the new Lobelia have larger flowers than the female parent, a proprietary selection identified as code number 01P050. In addition, plants of the new Lobelia and the female parent selection differ in flower color. Plants of the new Lobelia have foliage with dense pubescence compared to the smooth foliage of plants of the male parent, the cultivar Weslobigblue. In addition, plants of the new Lobelia have thicker stems than plants of the cultivar Weslobigblue and differ in flower color.
Plants of the new Lobelia differ primarily from plants of the cultivar Weslowhite, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 10/805,583 primarily in flower color.
Plants of the cultivar Weslolav can be compared to the cultivar Weslowei, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,708. However, in side-by-side comparisons conducted in Sxc3xcdlohn, Germany, plants of the cultivar Weslolav and the cultivar Weslowei differed in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Lobelia had thinner stems than plants of the cultivar Weslowei.
2. Plants of the new Lobelia had foliage and stems were more pubescent than plants of the cultivar Weslowei.
3. Plants of the new Lobelia flowered more continuously than plants of the cultivar Weslowei.
4. Plants of the new Lobelia and the cultivar Weslowei differed in flower coloration.
5. Plants of the new Lobelia were more tolerant to high temperatures than plants of the cultivar Weslowei.